Scott No: -
Serial number: 2005-17
Values in set: 1
Date of issue: August 25, 2005
Denomination: 80 fen
Designer: Wu Yong
Size of stamps: 30*40 mm
Perforation: 13*12.5
Sheet composition: 10
Size of sheet: 160*240 mm
Printing process: Offset
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

This commemorative stamp set, Centenary of Chinese Cinema, was issued on August 28, 2005. It consists of one stamp with a face value of 0.80 yuan, designed by Wu Yong, with Yu Ping serving as the responsible editor, and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Works using offset printing.

In 1905, the Beijing Fengtai Photo Studio filmed a segment of the Peking opera master Tan Xinpei performing The Battle of Dingjun Mountain. This became the first film independently produced by the Chinese people and marked the official birth of Chinese cinema. Over the course of a century, Chinese cinema evolved from silent black-and-white shorts through the eras of silent film, talkies, color film, and digital imaging. It has produced a wealth of classic works that reflect both humanistic values and the spirit of their times, establishing a distinct national system of cinematic art. This stamp looks back on a century of light and shadow, paying tribute to the dedication of generations of filmmakers and commemorating the brilliant beginning of Chinese cinema.

Stamp Design and Historical Background

Centenary of Chinese Cinema

The stamp features Tan Xinpei in his classic Peking opera role as Huang Zhong from The Battle of Dingjun Mountain. A beam of light converges from the center of the composition, evoking the atmosphere of a cinema screen. The years 1905‑2005 are inscribed on the stamp, with the theme text vertically arranged on the left. This pioneering work serves as the starting point for a century of Chinese cinema, capturing the first precious moment in Chinese film history.

Artistic and Design Features

The vertical format uses a vintage sepia monochrome palette to recreate the texture of old photographs, with soft, nostalgic light and shadow. It evokes the timeless quality of early black-and-white cinema. The stamp incorporates multiple anti-counterfeiting features, including security paper, security ink, shaped perforations, and fluorescent spray codes. The overall design is simple and contemplative, filled with a nostalgic and commemorative atmosphere of cinematic history.

This stamp is a commemorative issue on the centenary of film and visual arts, suitable for thematic collections on modern Chinese culture and the art of classic cinema.